Headlight-controlling means



oct. 7. 1924'. v 1,511,105

R. G. CAMBLIN HEADLIGHT GONTROLLING MEANS Filed Sept. l 1923 2 Sheena-Shes?I 1 Oct. 7 1924.

R. G. CAMBLIN HEADLIGHT CONTROLLING MEANS Filed Sept. J, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet @We z umg Patented Oct., 7, 1924.

UNITED STATES ROBERT G. CALIBLIN, OF BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA,

ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF T0 TULLIE E. MILLER, 0F K AW CITY, UKLAHOM'A.

HEADLIGHT-CONTROLLING MEANS.

Application led September 1, 1923. Serial No. 660,553.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT G. CAMBLIN a citizen of the United States, residing at Bartlesville, in the county of Washington and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Headlight-Controlling Means, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to headlights, and more particularly to those. headlights wherein the reliectors are dirigible for the purpose of causing the direction of the beams of light proceeding from said refiectors to be directed in dilferent directions.

The general object of `the present invention is to do away with the necessity of using dimmers or like devices on headlights, as is commonly done. It has been proposed goto provide means whereby a headlight may be turned downward or whereby the light may be directed downward, but this, while it avoids dazzling of an oncoming driver, does not illuminate the road on the right hand side, and an object of the present invention is to provide a construction of the character described wherein a beam of light, upon actuation of the device by the driver, will be shifted from a direction parallel to the line of travel to a direction toward the right to thus prevent blinding of the oncoming driver and at the same time cast the light toward the ditched side of the road.

A further object is to provide a construction of this character wherein the headlight reflectors are hingedly mounted within the ordinary or usual headlight housing, the headlight reflectors being hinged on the left hand side of both housings, and manually operable means being provided for urging both reflectors into a position where their axes are parallel to the axes of the headlight housings and the longitudinal aXis of the car, and manually controlled means for shifting the reflectors laterally upon their hinges so that the light will be directed toward the right.

A still further object is to provide manually controlled, motor operated means for shifting these reflectors.

Other objects willy appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of an automobile showing my attachment applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of one of the headlights;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section as in Figure 2, but showing the reflector shifted;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5--5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a vertical section of the dash board, showing the operating device thereon;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view through the radiator D, showing the manner in which the housing for the cable 29 is mounted in the radiator;

In the drawings, I have illustrated diagrammatically the forward end of an ordinary motor car having the usual hood A and the dirigible wheels B and the dash board C. Supported upon the fenders of the motor car or in any other suitable manner are the headlight housings 10. lnasmuch as both of these housings are alike and both the reflectors in the housings are alike, the same. numerals will be used for both headlights.

Each headlight housing 10 in plan view is approximately parabolic and is provided with the concavo-convex lens 11, or pane supported by a rim 12 having interlocked engagement with the rim of the headlight housing, as at 18. Hingedly mounted within the headlight housing 10 is the reliector 14, this being hinged in any suitable manner, as at 15, to the left hand side of the housing. The reflector 14 carries the usual lamp socket 16 supporting the usual electric lamp 17. The wiring of this lamp is of any ordinary or suitable character.

Attached 4to the parabolic reflector 14 adjacent its rear end is a rearwardly and laterally directed arm y18 which passes through a slot in the housing and which has a knuckle at its extremity which is connected to a transverse rod 19 formed in two sections, the sections having screw-threaded engagement with each other, as at 20, and the sections being held in adjusted position by the jam nut 21. This connecting rod 19 is pivotally connected by a knuckle joint to the arm 18 of the opposite reiector, as illustrated in Figure 1.

loe

housing and A. spring22 is` connected to the inner face oi' theflarnphousing andat its other end is connected to this arm 18 and acts to draw thel arm 18 toward the right. The arm 18h-asi a screw-threadedbore and engaging this bore is an adjustable stop 23 held in place by a jam nut 2a, and this adjustable stop is adapted 'toV engagewith an abutment 25 iformedvonvtheinterior face of the lamp housing, as shown in Figure 3.

Adjacent the free edge of the. lamp housing2l thathi's; ata pointnearly dametrically opposite the hinge 15, is an arm 26. rlhis armpasses/througha slot 27 in the lamp is pivotally connected to a coupling 2 8, in turn connected to a flexible CableQ, This cable extends rearward` to anA actuating device, as, will hereafter be described, and by its means the lamp may bellswung againstthe action oi .the spring 22 to position in Figure 3.

For the, purpos e of preventing any rattl/znggof -the,re le c to r ,1 mount upon the rim 12 a stop 30 having therein a groove or re. cess, 31 wh ich,is Vishaped in cross section anmwhichis linedffwith rubber Vpacking 82,

andflffbrm, the edge ofthe lamp housing with an outwardly projecting V,-sh aped lug adapted to engage in said recess to thus hold the reflector and; hold its tree end when thereflector is forced forward by the spring "f'lherear end ofthe cable v29passes around or over aspool 3h mounted within the hood .B-at the dash board or in a like situation.

This. spool isfmounted upon `a shaft, in turn gearedLto or otherwiseopenated by a small electrie motor orequivalent device 35. Obviously when the motor is actuated the cable 29.V wilL be woundup yand this: will shift bothdamp'housings to a position where the. stop in 23 engages with the stop abutments 257. Vhenthecurrent is turned off the motor,`th e springs 22 will draw the lamp housingsbach to their normal positions,l Any suitable, switch on the instrument ,board may be used for controllingtheoperation of the motor..

In case the battery, should be weak, the wiring defective, or some other accident happen which wouldprevent motor, I may also carrythe cable29 around the ,spool v34, then upv over a pulley 36, through` the ydashboard or instrument board, to'fa, lever 37v which may be-,pulled by the operatormto thus/ shiift thereilectors. rlihis leverj operates in 'a slot through a bracket 38'for'like device. ln either case it will be obvieus that a l strain placed upon the cable .29',will'-vcause the oscillation of the lamps tother'ight-and the casting of the light to thel rightfand that a release of the strain on this cablelwill permit the springsv 22 to shift the reflectorsvto their initial positions.A

-Preferably the lamp .hou-'sing willlbe provid-v I lt will,

the use of this Leimen ditch, thus out of the approaching motorists eyes, while at the same'ltime illuminating thel ditch. As. soon as the emergency has passed, the operator releases` thehandle- 37= or, he switch controlling the motor Vand-the springsl22 i thrown ahead inthe usual manner.

The cable, 29y preferably .passes through a tubular housing LO which.isdisposed` within the engine hood and through. the ,radiator casing and extends nearly.- towthen drum or spool 34. This tubular housing 4:0, asillustratedin Figure 7, passes against which a leather .onrubberwasher 42 bearst there is disposed a leather or' rubberlwasher-v fl., The purpose of thishousing istoypre-5 damaged, and alsoprevent then draw .the Ilamp housings back'- to their initial positions withA the light-rays- .through the radir ator and is supported,onytheradiatorI by.' making the tube 40with a` shoulder4 4:1521

The,remainder,` of the tubeis screwe threaded, as shown` aty 43, andvcarries.v agnut4 d between.l` the nut end the radiatori.

being damaged by friction .with/the. cable..

Alson case the cab-le s houldbrealtthis pre- V vents the cablelfrom being .tangled up ,inthe fan, generator, magneto, pumpishaft or other, parts of the motor and, thus, doing ,serious Preferably a, smalll tip` :of rubber, like material A 46 Will.- be ,.dsposedson,

damage or other the stop ,25,

lt,l is obvious that other orms ,oi` .lampK l than. theparabolc lamp,

lanipquite commonlyA ound on machines.

should be Vuse Y d `in connection with the lamps, as thesedmmers are required. forctydriv,

mers. does not,Iectmyinventon atall'.

very simple, thoroughly effective for, the pur.-

Wish to, be.

oi' headlight* lhousings rigidly, mounted on.

the. vehicle with their laxes Iparallefal :to the A' longitudinal ma efr-thefveeelwil-ffleat illustrated :fnaycbefr used, such as the ordinary drumfshapedl also be understood that,v dinmlers-I "It will be seen "that this con struction `isn rimot mounted in the housing for oscillation and carrying a lamp, means for oscillating the reflectors including arms extending from the reflectors through the housings, a connecting rod connecting said arms whereby the reiectors shall have simultaneous movement in the same direction, an arm extending from one of said reflectors and through the housing thereof, a cable Connected to the arm, an electric motor operatively engaged with the cable 'whereby when the motor is actuated the cable shall be retracted, a stop limiting the retractile movement of the reiector, and a spring urging the reflector to its normal position.

In testimony whereof l hereunto aliX my signature. A

HUBERT CAMBLIN. 

